SCUNTHORPE took another big step towards promotion as Bradford slipped into the relegation zone.

Second-half goals from Billy Sharp and Jermaine Beckford stretched Scunthorpe's unbeaten run to 18 games and pushed them four points clear at the top of League One.

Bradford were forced into a reshuffle just three minutes into the match when midfielder Marc Bridge-Wilkinson was replaced by striker Eddie Johnson.

Scunthorpe made a change of their own just after the half-hour mark when Stephen Foster picked up an injury and was substituted by Andy Butler.

Bradford had defended doggedly throughout the first half but Scunthorpe made the breakthrough in the 56th minute through Sharp. The prolific striker twisted clear of the defence inside the area before firing in a shot that took a deflection off keeper Donovan Ricketts before nestling in the net for his 27th of the campaign.

The Bantams thought that they had equalised in the 65th minute when player-manager David Wetherall headed home from a corner, only to see it ruled out for a foul on goalkeeper Joe Murphy.

Scunthorpe made it 2-0 in the 76th minute when Beckford, on loan from Championship strugglers Leeds, scored his seventh goal in 12 games since joining the club with a left-foot shot from 25 yards.